Reply #18: This is part of a FB exchange with a woman that I graduated with.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

In the coming months, around 250,000 people here in PA will lose their UC benefits if the extension fails to get passed. This is what it is like for one couple. Both are in their 50's and have always worked hard to provide for their family.

If I hear one more politician (D or R) announce that the economy is healthy and that the unemployed choose to be unemployed, I'm going to be more than angry. PA will now be run by the reptiles like Corbett who said that everyone can find a job if they're not too lazy to work. Corbett, Toomey, Shuster et al can kiss the fattest part of my ass!!

This is what the couple is facing with the holidays upon us.



"Anyway, things are tight financially here, too, but ---- and I are trying to make it a good holiday season. My daughter sent us a coupon for a Thanksgiving turkey (that was a little embarrassing because we are supposed to be taking care of she and her brother, but what could we do?)

---- and I went to Wal-Mart this evening so that I could get a money order to pay on my credit card bill, and we were looking at sweatshirts and jackets for my son and son-in-law while we were there. I really don't know what to do about Christmas. My in-laws keep saying that they just want to spend time with us, but it still hurts because we can't buy like we did other years.

Last year, ---- and I were both working and it was so easy just to go to the stores and buy for everyone. Now we read that unemployment is going to run out next week. How are we going to pay our bills?

I'm trying not to worry, and to stay positive, but it's really hard, especially when both of my children want to lend us money to pay the bills. We really don't want to borrow money from anyone but least of all from our children. We are supposed to take care of them, not the other way around, right?"